I found a cream at a health food store a couple of years ago. It's called End Itch, and appears to be a small batch, homemade product. But it works well. The active ingredient is almond oil, mixed with salt. You rub a tiny bit on the bite. The directions actually say "rub vigorously", which ends up feeling satisfying since the usual advice is not to scratch. Then you wipe off the grainy residue. The affect lasts a couple of hours. I'm guessing when I run out I could probably make more, if I can't find it again at the store.
We also sometimes use Lavender essential oil, either diluted or neat, depending on the severity of the bite and itch. But sometimes the only real relief is using a cold pack to numb the area.
Up until recently, when we started getting so many itchy bites, we hadn't been consistently putting on preventive spray of any kind. I found a natural product that we're trying now that claims to "repel mosquitoes, fleas, chiggers, ticks and other biting insects". We keep it by the back door and spray on our arms and legs when we're going to work outside in the grassy areas. It is diluted citronella oil, lemongrass oil, and peppermint oil, so at least it smells nice.
One of my readers suggested another product called Repel natural insect repellant, which is also DEET-free.
Most will know that DEET is an acronym for a chemical called N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, or diethyltoluamide. It was originally developed for World War II jungle warfare, but is used today in many products for many applications. Depending on which resources you trust, it will either be safe or dangerous. We try to avoid most chemicals whenever possible.
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